Acclaimed duo Shovels & Rope have released the achingly beautiful new track “The Human Race” from their upcoming album Manticore, which comes out on February 18th via Dualtone Music. The video for track “The Human Race” features a flying alien exploration robot that comes down to investigate a post-apocalyptic planet, seemingly decimated as the result of its previous inhabitants. A closer look reveals an eerie familiarity and a potentially devastating reality.
In “The Human Race”, Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent lament the days when things seemed a little easier. Where is the compassion and kindness that were once more prevalent, and what impact is that loss having on our collective psyche? The song is not without hope and resolve, if we exercise love and patience. The duo offers some advice toward the end of the song in the lines, “Follow your intuition / Stick around till the party’s over / And fear not the serpents at your feet / Love everyone you meet / Before you’re six feet ‘neath the clover”
Hearst & Trent said of the song, “‘The Human Race’ is a three-minute existential crisis that resolves when the anti-depressants, exercise and well-being kick in at the end. Most all of us reckon with our existence at some point, and this one resulted from a pre-covid depressive episode we had to face down and work through.”
“The Human Race” closes the 10-song Manticore following an intimate and emotional ride informed by new personal experiences and observations on life, love and our ever-changing society. Shovels & Rope has built a reputation over the last decade-plus as gifted storytellers with genuine sincerity and honesty. With each release, they build lasting connections with fans new and old. On Manticore, they continue to reveal their emotional depth with personal exploration and self-evaluation that becomes uniquely relatable to those who choose to take part.
Click HERE to pre-order Manticore
